Campaign Magazine appoints Marty Davies as first transgender columnist

The marketing and advertising trade publication, Campaign, has appointed its first transgender columnist. 

Marty Davies, who is joint-CEO of the advocacy group Outvertising and also runs their own consultancy, has been announced as Campaign’s first transgender columnist with a new column entitled ‘A Queer View’.

Campaign has recognised the need for a regular platform to help brands and agencies navigate their inclusion efforts and the LGBTQ+ community’s urgent need for them to take action.

Davies, who previously shared insights at the PinkNews Trans+ Virtual Summit last month, tells PinkNews of the new role: “Our LGBTQIA+ talent can’t be visible or heard without a platform. That’s why I’m excited to join Campaign as a columnist.”

The UK now ranks 17th place for LGBTQ+ rights in Europe, falling from the top spot in the last decade. In the US, the Human Rights Campaign has declared a ‘state of emergency’ for all LGBTQ+ people for the first time in its history. 

A little over a week into Pride Month, brands are struggling to navigate backlash and boycotts from anti-LGBTQ politicians and groups. Within the advertising industry itself, nearly half of queer talent is impacted by anxiety, stress and other mental health conditions and 27 per cent plan on leaving their job within the next year.

Davies’s column focuses on the importance of authentic queer representation in advertising campaigns, the workplace experience for queer creatives and cutting off advertising spending to publications that spread homophobic and transphobic disinformation.

“I’m delighted Marty has agreed to be a regular columnist for Campaign,” says Maisie McCabe, UK editor at Campaign.

“We are committed to using our platform as a force for greater inclusion and diversity, both by featuring the broad range of experiences in the advertising, media and marketing industries and pushing for positive change.”

The recurring column comes after Davies wrote an opinion piece that challenged the industry to think about how they spend their money following the increase in hate crime, specifically the murder of the trans teenager Brianna Ghey in February of this year.

The company they co-lead, Outvertising, also published a statement earlier this month urging brands to stand by their Pride campaigns that was backed by more than 60 organisations.

Commenting on Davies’ new column, Nancy Kelley, chief executive at Stonewall says that while LGBTQ+ rights are at the forefront of a culture war it “is so important that decision-makers across all parts of public life hear from LGBTQ+ experts in their field.”

“I am sure that Marty’s column will be an important source of education and challenge for the industry,” she continued.

Davies plans on using this platform to create a space for diversity and opinions within the LGBTQ+ community. 

“I hope that this is the start of hearing more queer perspectives in the ad industry as we work to make our industry more inclusive and hold it accountable in the fight against rising hate in the media and across society.”